Road to Victory
by follow your star
Summary: All the time I imagined the day I would finally start his journey, I never expected to start with a Pikachu who won't listen to a word I say. But after rescuing him from a flock of Spearows, we knew we can always count on each other, and in that realization, we're one step closer to our dream. /Smarter Ash/
1. Chapter 1

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **_I promise I won't put author notes as long as this in the next chapters, but right now, please read this. This fic is going to be different from the anime. So don't go off telling me [character] is OOC, because they _will _be out of character. I intend them to be. Ash is smarter here when it comes to Pokémon, but he's still dense in other stuff like romance. Ash will catch more Pokémon, but he won't go on a catching spree like some authors seem to do. He will get _two _legendaries here, in the very least. He might or might not get more. It's up to what happens further in the story, and of course, you guys.. I'm also open to suggestions so if you have one, I'll see if I can somehow insert it in my plot. If not, then sorry. I'm also not very good at descriptions so excuse it. I got some of the descriptions from Bulbapedia, and also the information will not be as accurate. I've only watched some of the episodes and those I have, I forgot the details. I'm still not sure if there'll be a pairing in this, because as much as I like romance, I like stories that involves Ash to focus more on adventure. But if there _will _be a pairing, it'll most likely be Pokéshipping [Ash/Misty], and it won't be anytime soon. Don't expect anything. I'm also open to flames and critism. No, I do not whine about flames, as long as it tells me how to improve._

__**DISCLAIMER: **_I don't own Pokémon._

* * *

I'm Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town, and someday, I'm going to be the world's greatest Pokemon Master.

Pokémon had always been my passion. The creatures intrigue me; all the various types and their strengths and weaknesses. It blows my mind how many Pokémon are out there—some discovered, others not yet. And when you capture them in this red and white capsul called a Pokéball, they become your teammates—your friends—who help you to achieve your dream.

On my tenth birthday, I'm finally going to start my very own Pokémon journey. In preparation for that, as well as to learn as much as I could about Pokémon, I always go over to Professor Oak's laboratory to help out. I especially love playing with the Pokémon there. My curiosity would often get the best of me, though, and I'd end up running to the professor, asking him all sorts of questions I know would someday help me on my journey. This, along with the fact that I seem to have an empathy with Pokémon; I can somehow sense what they're feeling, allowing me to understand them better.

Some days, I just simply sit on my favourite spot in the professor's Pokémon Reserve just at the back of his laboratory. It was a grassy area with a lake at the front and some trees behind, but unlike others, there was no Pokémon around. It was a quiet place discovered a while back, and since then I've always went here whenever I wanted to be alone. Well, not _technically_ alone. Victini started joining me here since I was six years old.

Victini's a small, rodent-like Pokémon with large, pointed ears shaped like the letter V. She has round, blue eyes that's too big for her head, and a tiny body. She's cream-coloured, save for the top of her ears, crest, and extremities, which are orange. Her bulbous arms and legs are rounded to make a sort of "cuff" before ending with small, three-fingered hands and two-toed feet. She also has two wing-like tails that grant her the ability to fly.

She had been sneaking around me that time, stealing the Pecha berries I was eating. She had been invisible, but I eventually lured her into showing herself when I waved a Pecha berry in front of me. Apparently, Pecha berries were her favourite. I was shocked when I saw her, of course. I always went to Professor Oak's laboratory but I'd never seen the Pokemon in front of me before. That was when we got in a little guessing game. She uttered many different forms of her name and after a few minutes, I finally guessed her name was Victini. She nodded, flying around me happily. She didn't want anyone to know about her, so we sort of became secret friends. We always played together, and I later found out she was a very caring and timid Pokémon. She also had a mischievous streak, often going invisible to suprise me. I've learned how to sense where she is a few months later. She showed me different visions: of her dreams, and of the world outside.

We immediately became best of friends.

* * *

"Why won't you listen to me?" I asked, frustrated with the overly-stubborn Pikachu.

He turned his head the other side in a defiant manner, "Pika."

I just got the Pikachu from Professor Oak because my alarm broke and there weren't any of the starters left. I begged Professor Oak if there was a Pokémon left, and he, knowing how much this means to me, reluctantly said there was still this Pikachu, but it has a bit of a problem [I would say _attitude_ problem]. I was desperate, so I told him I'd take it. The electric mouse wouldn't listen to a word I say, though. Distrust was practically radiating from him. He even shocked me a few times, so I wore these rubber gloves my mom gave. And he refused to go in his Pokéball, apparently hating it in there.

All the time I dreamed of the day I'd start my journey, I, in no way, expected _this_.

I glared at the mouse. I opened my mouth, about to say something, when I heard a familiar sound calling out and the next thing I knew, I was being tackled on the ground by none other than my best friend, Victini.

Laughing at the ticklish feeling of her fur against my skin as she nuzzled me, I managed to choke out, "'Tini! What are you doing here?"

She stopped the assault and looked at me with a huge smile, happily uttering a few words and making motions with her hands. I sat up, noticing Pikachu was also looking at Victini with a curious expression and a tilt of his head. I didn't exactly understand what Victini was saying, but I understood what she wanted.

"You want to come with us?" I asked, shocked and happy at the same time.

"Tini!" she squealed, spinning around in circles before grabbing one of my Pokéballs and jumping inside. The ball pinged, signalling a successful capture.

It was silent for several seconds, before what happened finally dawned on me. Victini wanted to come with us, and now she's my Pokémon. I felt elated; I caught my very first Pokémon! Okay, so it wasn't officially me catching her since she kind of captured herself in one of my Pokéballs, but still. I laughed in glee, jumping on my feet and grabbing her Pokéball, cheering, "I caught Victini!"

I grinned at Pikachu, who was still in shock, wondering what had just happened.

"See? I don't need your help to catch Pokémon," I said smugly.

Pikachu snapped out of his shocked state. He crossed his arms and held his head high, "Pi."

"Whatever you say, Pikachu," I laughed.

He glared at me, annoyed, and went to climb a tree, ignoring me.

Oh, well. I'll just capture some Pokémon with Victini and hopefully figure something out to make the stubborn Pikachu listen to me.

I caught a movement at the corner of my eye, and I turned to see a Pidgey landing at the grass. "All right! A chance to catch a new Pokemon!" I silently cheered, making sure to move quietly as not to scare the Pidgey. For a second, I contemplated using the Pokédex for more information, but decided against it. Pidgey was a common bird Pokémon in Professor Oak's laboratory and I've learned enough about it. Now, to train one . . .

I grabbed Victini's Pokéball. "Victini, I choose you!"

Victini appeared with a bright red flash. She cooed happily on being chosen to battle, not that I had any choice, since my other Pokémon won't listen to me.

"Okay, so uh . . . " I started, only realizing something as Victini waited for me to tell her what to do. I rubbed the back of my neck sheepishly, "What attacks do you know?"

Somewhere behind me, at the top of a tree, I heard Pikachu laughing. I scowled.

"Tiniii!" Victini exclaimed, as if asking me, _no, really?_ and started motioning towards my Pokédex.

"But aren't you an unknown Pokémon, so the Pokédex wouldn't know your moves?" I asked, confused.

She shook her head and motioned to my Pokédex once more.

"Uh, alright," I pointed my Pokédex towards her, as it listed all her moves. I didn't recognize half of the moves, so I called out a random one.

"Okay, 'Tini, use Incinerate!"

Victini let out a cry as she let out a spew of flames towards the Pidgey. The Pidgey trilled and flew out of the way, making the flames miss. Instead, it hit another Pokemon—a Spearow.

The now-burnt Spearow squawked angrily, flying towards us at a fast speed.

"Oh, no," I muttered. Fearows were known for their temper and it wasn't a good thing to be the end of their wrath. I ordered Victini to dodge, but the Spearow swooped down and flew right past us. That was when I realized that the Spearow wasn't aiming for me or 'Tini. It was aiming for Pikachu.

I spun quickly, yelling out a warning to the yellow rodent, "Watch out!"

Pikachu ducked just in time to miss the Spearow, but the Spearow was having none of it. it went in for another blow, and Pikachu let out a Thundershock in his distress. It hit the Spearow dead on and it cried out. The problem was, it didn't seem to be crying out in pain. It seemed to be calling for _help_. My eyes widened as I realized this, and I immediately returned Victini in her Pokéball; it would be dangerous for her to go against a flock of angry Spearows. I turned just in time to see Pikachu falling off the tree, and I ran forward to catch him, wasting no time running in the direction I hope would lead us away the Spearows. I ran as fast as my legs could carry me, but the flock didn't seem to have any plans stopping. Ahead, I could see a waterfall. I hesitated for a moment, but it was either that or to be bird food. So I jumped.

The strong current dragged me and Pikachu along. Plenty water Pokémon swam by and I narrowly swam out of the way of a Gyarados. I had had enough of an angry flock of Spearow after me; I didn't need an angry Gyarados, too. Just as it seemed like I couldn't hold my breath much longer, I passed by a fishing line. Thank goodness someone was fishing. I grabbed it, and after a few seconds, was hauled out of the water.

As my vision cleared, I could see an orange haired girl that has a ponytail sticking out the side of her head. Concerned green eyes stared down at them as she asked, "Are you okay?"

I was not okay. My alarm clock broke so I failed to go to Professor Oak's laboratory just in time. Instead of the three Kanto starters, I received a Pikachu, which wouldn't be so bad, except for the fact that he won't listen to me. A Spearow got angry at us and cried out for help from its flock and now said flock is after us. But I said I'm fine, anyway.

"Not you; the Pikachu! You should take it to the Viridian City Pokemon Center." she snapped at me, then poined towards the direction of Viridian City.

I was about to reply, but I heard the distant cries of the Spearows as they advanced towards us. I immediately got to my feet and grabbed what I'm guessing is the girl's bike, promising to return it someday. I put Pikachu in the basket and pedalled as fast as I could. Behind me, I could hear the girl yelling at me, but I ignored her. I'm determined to save Pikachu. We may not be on the best of terms, but Pikachu is my Pokémon, whether he likes it or not, and I care for him. It was my fault the Spearows were angry, anyway. I'm not letting them hurt Pikachu.

It started to rain. We hit a ledge, and the bike fell to the side, the impact knocking me and Pikachu off. I looked at my injured Pikachu, hearing the Spearows getting nearer. I knew what I had to do.

I took out Pikachu's Pokéball and placed it in front of him. He looked at the ball, and back at me, his eyes questioning. My voice was urgent when I explained it to him. "Look, Pikachu. I know you don't like going in there, but it's the only way. You'll be safe in there, I promise."

I left the ball beside him and stood before the Spearows, spreading his arms. It was stupid, but at that moment I didn't care. I was scared, yes, but my determination was stronger and I'm going to save my Pikachu, no matter what. "Hey, Spearows! I'm Ash, from the town of Pallet! I'm destined to be the world's number one Pokemon Trainer! I can't be defeated by the likes of you! I'm going to defeat and capture you all!"

I looked back towards Pikachu, again insisting him to go into his Pokéball.

"_Come and get me!_" I yelled, the lightning illuminating my face, and the Spearows dove in. I stood unwavering, but what I didn't expect was a blur of yellow to leap past me, gathering the electricity from the lightning bolts like a conductor and releasing the most powerful Thundershock I've ever seen. It was so powerful, it managed to drive all Spearows away and knocked me off my feet, draining Pikachu in the process.

The storm cleared. I opened my eyes, seeing a drained, but victorious Pikachu staring back at me. Up above, a rainbow had formed. I looked up to see a majestic Pokémon flying through the sky. It wasn't anything I've seen. I grabbed my Pokédex, pointing up to the Pokémon flying through. But it was unable to identify it.

For a moment, we sat over there in silence, staring after the beautiful, unknown Pokémon that just passed through.

I stood and gathered Pikachu in my arms and walked in the direction of Viridian City. As I walked, Pikachu licked me, and in that very moment, something changed. It's like we had some sort of silent exchange. A bond had been formed, and we know we have something big ahead of us. We had something to fight for, and we were one step closer to our dream.

* * *

**Review.**


	2. Chapter 2

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **_I have to say I'm quite shocked with the results of this story. Anyway. It'll skip parts from time to time and I'll be changing a lot of things. No need to worry, though. Brock and Misty _will _travel with Ash. Although I do have a bit of a problem with what Brock will say to the pretty girls he'll meet. Some help with that? And since Team Rocket's a bunch of stalkers, yes, they will find out about Victini. Oh, and of course Ash doesn't know Victini's a legendary Pokémon._

**DISCLAIMER: **_I don't own Pokémon._

* * *

A few hours later, I finally made it to Viridian City. It was sunset, and the sky had a soft orange glow. I fastened my pace, determined to get to the Pokémon Center as soon as possible. That is, until someone grabbed me by the back of my vest.

"Hold it!" Officer Jenny snapped. "Just where do you think you're going with that Pokémon, young man?"

I turned to look at her, impatient and a little annoyed. "It's mine! And I'm taking it to be healed,"

Officer Jenny eyed me. "Oh, I'm sorry. Just show me your identification card and you may go."

"Identification card?" I repeated, confused. Now why does that sound familiar . . . ? "I'm just a trainer from Pallet Town, and I really need to get to the Pokémon Center."

"You're the fourth Pokémon Trainer from Pallet to come through today." she said suspiciously.

I was getting desperate. I _really _needed to get Pikachu to the Pokémon Center. Come on, what identification card? ID . . . Then something popped into my mind.

"Oh, right!" I exclaimed, pulling out my Pokédex and showing it to Officer Jenny.

She leaned in closer, as Dexter's mechanical voice said, "I'm Dexter; a Pokédex programmed by Professor Oak for Pokémon trainer Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town. My function is to provide Ash with information and advice regarding Pokémon and their training. If lost or stolen, I cannot be replaced."

Officer Jenny's eyes widened in realization, her mouth forming an O. She then offered to give me a ride to the Pokémon Center. I glanced at her motorcycle, and then Pikachu. The sooner I get Pikachu some treatment, the better. So I accepted.

The ride was short and fast, and soon I can already see the outline of the Viridian City Pokémon Center. Officer Jenny sped up ahead, and into the mechanical doors of the Center.

Nurse Joy got up and scolded, "Jenny! How many times did I tell you to use the driveway?"

Officer Jenny looked sheepish, but got serious. "We have an emergency, Nurse Joy."

The Pokémon nurse looked over and saw me for the first time, her eyes immediately becoming concerned. She called over her Chansey and the pink Pokémon came and took Pikachu, placing him in a stretcher, then running to the emergency room.

* * *

I stared at the remains of the Pokémon Center, with Pikachu perched on my shoulder.

Just after Pikachu recovered, the lights went out and a group of two people with a talking Meowth and a ridiculous motto attacked the Center. They wanted to steal some rare and valuable Pokémon, so I decided against using Victini to fight them off. The girl—whose name I learned was Misty—distracted Team Rocket while I got Pikachu to safety. Team Rocket's Koffing and Ekans went after me. With the help of my Pikachu, along with the ones of the Center, we were able to get rid of Team Rocket, blowing up the Pokémon Center in the process. But all the Pokémon were safely evacuated to the Pewter City Pokémon Center, and that's all what matters.

Misty left shortly after, saying she didn't want to go into Viridian Forest but said she'll be back and how I better have bought a new bike for her, then.

"Well, buddy. It's time to have some serious training, and we better catch more Pokémon along the way." I told Pikachu.

Pikachu answered with an affirmative, "Pika!"

I grinned at him, and started walking into the forest, excitedly awaiting whatever it holds for us.

* * *

The forest was eerie, except for the sound of the Pokémon. There didn't seem to be anyone else around. Deciding it's safe, I tossed Victini's Pokéball. "Okay, 'Tini, come on out!"

The little vixen Pokémon came out, yawning and stretching. She looked at me with curious blue eyes.

"We're in Viridian Forest," I explained. "We're going to do some training and hopefully catch some new friends."

Her eyes brightened. She flew around for a while, then happily pointed over to a spot behind the bushes. I looked over to see a lone Caterpie eating some leaves on the ground. I smiled, silently creeping towards it. Normally, I would need to weaken a Pokémon before catching it. But if we catch it off guard . . .

I grabbed a Pokéball from my belt before enlarging it, watching the Caterpie with careful eyes, and finally throwing the Pokéball. The ball hit the Caterpie on the head, sucking it in. We all watched in bated breath as the ball shook. Once, twice, and—ping! It stopped, meaning I've captured Caterpie.

"Alright! I caught a Caterpie!" I cheered, grabbing Pikachu and Victini and spinning them both around. The both squealed, happy too, to get a new teammate and friend.

I clipped Caterpie's Pokéball on my belt as I advanced further in the forest.

"Pikapi!" Pikachu yelled, pointing over to a tree branch. Or rather, the _Pokémon_ perched on the branch. A Pidgeotto—the evolved form of Pidgey. A strong flying type would be a great addition to the team.

"Good job, Pikachu," I praised. "Now, Thundershock it!"

He obeyed, letting out a shock to the unsuspecting bird. Pidgeotto let out a cry of pain, and started flapping its wings. I recognized the attack to be Gust.

"Hang in there, Pikachu, and use Quick Attack!"

Pikachu dug his feet on the dirt, and started going forward at a fast speed. It hit Pidgeotto, causing it to pummel down the ground. Pikachu landed beside it with a victorious cry.

I tossed a Pokéball at it. It shook a few times, before stopping. I went over and scooped it up, contented to have at least four Pokémon in my team. I'll just have to train them to their full potential and get to know each other more. But first, "Let's take a break, guys." I said, releasing both Caterpie and Pidgeotto.

"Welcome to the team, you two!" I said, going over and spraying some Potion on their wounds.

They let out happy cries of their names. Pikachu and Victini walked over to them and they formed their own conversations. I smiled at the sight; it was nice to see my Pokémon getting along so well.

I put out some of the berries I picked along the way; mostly Pecha berries, courtesy of 'Tini. I picked up some Oran berries, too. I walked over and gave them the berries, taking a few myself. "Here you go. Eat all you want."

They cheered and immediately dug in. I laughed. Guess my Pokémon have impressive appetites like me.

After a moment of silence, I told them. "Our training starts tomorrow. We'll be staying here for a week, at the very least."

Everyone didn't seem to mind. In fact, they all looked like they're looking forward to it. I could feel their determination. They wanted to get stronger, and I'll help them be.

That night, we were able to get to know each other more. I've seen how similar, yet so different they are from one another. Caterpie was gentle. She has big dreams on finally evolving into a beautiful Butterfree. Pidgeotto was proud; he would always hold his head high in the toughest situations and he would never back down. Victini was the same as usual; timid, caring and playful. And of course, Pikachu. It was like we were made to be partners, really; we were so alike. I could already feel myself having a strong connection with my Pokémon, despite only meeting them. The future seemed bright for us. I could only settle down now and wait for the suprises tomorrow holds.

They all stayed out of their Pokéballs, all of them curling up close to me as we all fell to slumber.

* * *

**I'm sorry if this chapter seems a little rushed. I had to do a lot of research and this actually took me hours to write. Just so you know, though, not all the Pokémon he catches will immediately love him. Some _will _take longer to trust.**

**Review. :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **_Once again, I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed, followed and favourited this story. I stayed up till morning to finish this chapter for y'all, so enjoy. :)_

**DISCLAIMER: **_I don't own Pokémon._

* * *

The training went on for days.

First and foremost, we practised our speed. I ran laps alongside with my Pokémon; it had been tiring at first, but I've eventually gotten the hang of it. Pidgeotto and Victini had particularly hated this exercise, as they were both required to run—not fly. But that was part of our training, so after a few encouraging words, and the promise of Pecha berries for Victini, they were able to run faster. Out of the four, Pikachu was easily the fastest. Caterpie was the second, Pidgeotto third, while Victini lagged behind. I didn't let that discourage her, though; after all, she only had two toes, and I don't think she was really meant to walk on them. But that was just for caution, in case something hurt their wings [or tails, in Victini's case] and they couldn't fly. After I was satisfied with the improvement, I finally let them practice their flying. Needless to say, the two looked extremely relieved to stretch out and take to the air again. As expected, they were much faster aerial than in land. After a while, they were able to easily maneuver their way out of Pikachu's Thundershock and Caterpie's Stringshot.

Next, we practised the accuracy. The first part was easiest—to hit the bull's eye on the target, just like in archery. The one that came after was what's challenging: to be able to hit a moving target precisely. This went on for a good two days, before they were able to shoot _almost_ accurately. But I was more than satisfied with the results, considering it was only my first week as a trainer.

After we got that through, we trained on dodging the already-accurate attacks. That was the trick—their attacks were supposedly accurate so they had to know how to dodge them, too. They frantically jumped left and right, doing twirls and summersaults if they needed to. Thanks to our accuracy training, their attacks had gotten harder to dodge. The only thing I wanted to do, though, was to get them used to dodging accurate attacks, that in a real battle, when—hopefully—the opponent's attacks wouldn't be _as_ accurate, they could dodge them at ease, as they've gotten used to more accurate ones.

And the hardest part of all: endurance. We had to get our weaknesses covered, especially when fighting at a type disadvantage. Pidgeotto was exceptionally weak to electric attacks, so at first, I had Pikachu hit him with some weak Thundershocks; it wasn't easy, trust me. For both me and my Pokémon. For one, I didn't like seeing my Pokémon get hurt. Every time they'd get worn out, I immediately spray them some Potions, give them berries and praises for their hard work. But this had a purpose, and all of them understood my point in doing it. Their determination was unwavering, and because of that, they had gotten a lot tougher and I can now proudly say my Pidgeotto could shake off Pikachu's Thunderbolt while only taking a few damage. Caterpie was a lot trickier, as I couldn't really burn her with Victini's Incinerate over and over. But we got that weakness covered with some experiments. Pikachu's weakness to ground types was dealt soon enough, as well—but we still needed to be careful. Fortunately, we've managed to make Pikachu's electric attacks a lot stronger, even managing to pulverize small-sized rocks with it. I also found out Victini's a part psychic type Pokémon, so I didn't need to worry about her being weak to water attacks. She loves swimming. She always hangs around the ocean or the lakes. Then when attacked with a water type move, she'd simply use her psychic powers to weaken the pressure, therefore making it seem like she only had a shower.

At nightfall, after a day of hard training, I'd groom them. I wasn't, by all means, a Pokémon Breeder, but I read books on how to take care of Pokémon, adding a few techniques myself. I make sure they get their daily nutrients, adding a drop of . . . _something_ I made back at Professor Oak's laboratory [he doesn't know, so shush] to their water, for them to get all the vitamins they need. It also served as our "bonding" moment. We'd sit together by the campfire, and I'd tell them random stories that pop into my mind. They would watch me in fascination as I tell them about my mom, how I used to study in the professor's laboratory a lot, Gary my rival, of my dreams and aspirations. Then they'd go tell _me _about their lives, and though I don't understand their exact speech, the emotions that were practically radiating from them was enough for me. The invisible barrier between a Pokémon and a human was gone, replaced with understanding and acceptance. We were different, but at the same time, we were one. We were a family.

The most eventful that happened so far, was in the midst of training, when Caterpie evolved into Metapod. She had pretty much become inactive then, occasionally making a monotonous sound of her name. But soon enough, she would evolve into a beautiful Butterfree, just like she wanted.

* * *

Pikachu sparred with Victini and Pidgeotto, while Metapod was . . . well, being Metapod. Everything had been going on normally, until smoke filled the area, and I heard familiar voices laugh.

"Prepare for trouble—" the red haired woman named Jessie said. I mentally groaned, recognizing that line from the annoying motto they said back in Viridian City. I didn't know what they were doing here, but one thing's for sure, is that they're up to no good. I looked around at my team, silently returning Victini in her Pokéball when I remembered Team Rocket was after rare Pokémon, and rare Pokémon she was.

I tuned in just in time to hear the talking Meowth with a funny accent finish off their motto with a, "Meowth—that's right!"

Shooting an irritated glare at their direction, I demanded, "What do you want?"

The trio smirked. "Just hand over Pikachu, and we'll be on our way,"

I looked at them incredulously. "Just back in the Viridian City Pokemon Center, you were like, 'we don't want your little Pikachu!'. What happened to _that_?"

The lavander haired guy I recognized to be James started, "Well, you see—"

"—we realized that Pikachu of yours is very rare and powerful—" Jessie continued.

"—something that'll make a nice present to the boss!" Meowth finished.

I gaped at them. Okay, so Pikachu was apparently rare and powerful just because he shocked them alongside with the other Pikachu from the Pokemon Center?

Pikachu blinked at them with a questioning, "Pika?"

It didn't matter what they thought now. The training we've been having for nearly a week hadn't been for nothing, and we had managed to power up Pikachu's Thundershock to a Thunderbolt.

Not letting Team Rocket send out any of their Pokemon, I told Pikachu, "Okay, Pikachu—let's show them just how powerful you really are now! Thunderbolt!"

Pikachu got down on all fours, seemingly smirking at the foes, with electricity crackling from his cheeks.

Team Rocket, only now realizing the battle had begun, barely had any time to protest before they were shocked by Pikachu's electricity. The ground they had previously been standing on exploded, their screams matching the loudness of the sound, as they were sent flying off to some faraway land.

In the distance, "Team Rocket's blasting off again!" was heard.

I pumped my fist in the air, grinning at Pikachu, hand raised in a high-five. He jumped up, his paw meeting my hand before climbing up to my shoulder, yelling a triumphant, "Pi, Pikachu!"

Pidgeotto let out a chirp, flapping out his wings happily.

Now, I know it probably wasn't fair attacking Team Rocket like that before they even got the chance to send out their Pokémon, but they were planning to steal _my _Pokémon, which is illegal, and I wouldn't take any chances that would make me lose any of my friends. Idiots or not, they were still thieves.

I returned Pidgeotto and Metapod in their Pokéballs, deciding to explore a bit of the forest before going back to training. It was like a maze inside; all sorts of bug Pokémon were seen. I looked around, aimlessly wandering around while searching for a new spot to train. Possibly catch some new Pokémon, too.

It felt like hours, and I was seriously considering taking a break because nothing remotely interesting would happen. Just as I thought that, however, I felt Pikachu tense beside me.

"Pikachu?" I asked my partner, concerned.

The electric mouse stuck his nose up in the air, sniffing around and started walking towards the opposite direction. Then he stopped, abruptly turning back to me and pointing behind the bushes, rapidly speaking out different forms of his name.

I cautiously walked towards the bushes, prepared to call Pikachu to attack if I needed to, but as I slowly peeked behind it, I realised I didn't have to. Because right there, was an innocent looking furball looking back at us, its ears pressed down on its head as it attempted an adorable face to get it out of trouble. It was succeeding on the adorable part, but winning us over? Not so much.

I recognised the Pokémon to be Eevee. It is a mammalian creature with brown fur, a bushy tail with a cream-coloured tip, and also a large furry collar. It has four short, feline-like legs with three small toes on each foot. It has doe-brown eyes that looked to be sparkling as it stared up at me, and large, pointed ears.

Pikachu reered back at the unexpected sight, no doubt expecting a dangerous threat. I couldn't really blame him; I myself was shocked to see an Eevee who, if I'm guessing correctly, was following our trail.

I remembered Professor Oak telling me that Eevees usually live near cities and towns, and while this was technically in between Viridian and Pewter City, it was still unusual to find an Eevee in a forest. It was still plausible, though. He did say Eevees can live almost everywhere.

Crouching down at its level, I asked, out of mere curiosity and not in accusation, "Were you following us?"

"Vee!" The wild Eevee nodded enthusiastically, going forward and rubbing at my leg affectionately. This was certainly one friendly Eevee, but the question is, why was it following us?

It cooed, shuffling its feet around the dirt, looking unsure of what to answer. I pressed on, gently. It looked at me hesitantly, before going over and biting softly at my backpack. My eyebrows scrunched up in confusion. Something in my backpack, maybe?

I put my backpack down, setting it down and opening the zipper for Eevee to see what it wanted. It stuck its head inside my backpack, its bushy tail wagging, before nudging a berry out with its paw.

My eyes cleared in understanding. "You're hungry." It was more like a statement than a question, but Eevee nodded anyway. I smiled, taking the berry and letting it settle in my palm, opening it up as an offering to the hungry Pokémon.

Brown eyes looked at me hopefully, and I nodded in confirmation. The Eevee let out a happy squeal, munching down on the berry like a miniature Snorlax. A cuter one.

I laughed softly, petting the it on the head. It gave a purr of contentment. I fished out more berries in my backpack and set them out for Eevee. It was delighted to see more food and immediately went and chomped down on them.

I looked at the eating Pokémon in silence, a small smile on my face. Sometime along my interaction with Eevee, Pikachu went to stand beside me. It was peaceful, indeed. I shot a quick look towards the sky, noticing that dusk was approaching. I stood up and dusted myself, earning a curious look from Eevee.

"I'm sorry, Eevee. It was great being with you, but we need to go look for somewhere to camp for the night."

It gave a cry of protest, jumping forward and clinging to my leg. I bent down with a sigh, patting the Pokémon on the head before speaking, "I'd love to stay here, too, but I don't really want to go wandering around this forest in the dark,"

"Eevee!" It cried out, shaking its head profusely, tugging at my pants once more.

I looked at it doubtfully, before taking a wild guess. "You want to come along?"

Eevee's brown eyes brightened as it nodded, bouncing on its feet.

I smiled broadly. This was the second Pokémon that wanted to come with me so far. Even though I like catching my own Pokémon, it's nice knowing that some Pokémon is on your team because they _chose _to.

"Just don't expect to live a glamorous life from now on just because you'll be my Pokémon," I lightly teased, putting out a Pokéball and capturing Eevee with it.

"All right!" I cheered, doing a victory pose with Pikachu. "I caught an Eevee!"

"Pi, Pikachu!"

* * *

Eevee got along well with my other Pokémon. She was so cheerful and energetic, it was hard not to like her. She's quite the prankster, though, using her cuteness as her advantage. What's worse was, she and Victini decided to team together and be partners-in-crime, so I had to watch my back from now on. I have to work on her training, too; she's badly left behind. But I didn't let that worry me too much. Eevee's pretty enthusiastic in literally everything, including training. Her tackle attack was pretty strong, admittedly. A little work on it and it soon changed to Quick Attack. Charm was her specialty; it was useful too if fighting an opponent of the opposite gender. What we were training about, however, was Protect.

"Come on, Eevee! You can do it!" I encouraged her, as she tried to form a barrier between her and Pikachu's Tackle. She failed again, but that's one of the good things about her—she never gave up. If she fails, she gets up and tries even harder.

They tried again. And again. Then the most incredible thing happened. As Pikachu was about to hit Eevee, her body became surrounded in a green shield, making Pikachu bounce back from the impact.

I laughed and gleefully scooped Eevee up in my arms, spinning her around with a big, loud, "Congratulations!"

Eevee yipped, happy to have accomplished what she've been training on for a day.

"Although, I bet it still needs a little more practise, until you finally perfect it," I told her. "But it probably won't take too long!" I finished positively.

And so, the next few days were filled with training. I focused mainly on Eevee, but my other Pokémon sparred on their own. I can also tell that Metapod was very close to evolving into Butterfree. After three days of hard work, Eevee had already perfected her Protect, all the while learning a new move I know will come in handy: Shadow Ball. It's a fairly strong ghost type move, it can hit normal type Pokémon. She still needed to work on her aiming, but other than that, all was good.

That was, until I turned around to come face to face with the tip of a sword. I widened my eyes and backed away, my arms raised in the universal sign of surrender. My Pokémon's reactions were immediate. Pikachu jumped in front of me, the electricity from his cheeks serving as a warning to the oddly dressed boy. Victini flew beside me protectively, ready to attack if needed. Eevee stood her ground beside Pikachu, giving a growl I only heard her make now. Pidgeotto flew at my other side, opposite of Victini, squawking angrily at the threat. Even Metapod's eyes flashed dangerously from where she was, tensing slightly.

It was now so-called threat's turn to back away, as if _we _were the one who came out of nowhere and looked ready to attack.

"Hey, relax! I don't mean any harm!" He called out defensively. My eyes slightly narrowed at that. Yeah, right. He continued on, "I just came here to ask if you're, by any chance, a trainer from Pallet?"

I eyed him cautiously, wondering what me being from Pallet has to do with anything. "Yes, I am."

"I am Samurai," He introduced, straightening up. "And I challenge you to a Pokémon battle!"

All thoughts of threats were gone, replaced with the excitement of finally engaging to an official Pokémon battle; sure, I've fought off Team Rocket, but that was nowhere near official . . . I think.

"I accept!" I exclaimed, unable to hide the excitement from my voice.

"Okay. This will be a two on two Pokémon battle. The battle is over when two of the trainer's Pokémon are unable to battle. Begin!" he stated, as he released a Pinsir in battle.

"Pinsir. This fearsome Pokémon uses its powerful claws to put the squeeze on its opponents." Dexter's mechanical voice informed.

I definitely needed to be careful of its horns, and I had a pretty good idea what to do. I looked at the green cocoon. "This is your battle, Metapod,"

The samurai frowned at my choice of Pokémon. "Only a novice would send such defenseless Pokémon in battle! Pinsir will crush it with its horns!"

I cringed at the mental image of Metapod broken in half by Pinsir. But I had a plan, and Metapod had faith in me as her trainer as she bravely stood up to the intimidating foe.

"Pinsir, use Vice Grip!"

Pinsir obeyed, charging towards Metapod at a very fast pace. I remained steady, noticing that Metapod was also perfectly calm. I mentally smiled. My Pokémon had that much faith in me, and I wasn't gonna let them down.

The moment Pinsir grabbed Metapod by its pincers and got ready to squeeze, I yelled, "Harden!"

Metapod glew a greenish-white colour while Pinsir attempted to crush her. My plan worked, as just a moment later, a _crack! _was heard, breaking one of the spikes from its horn. It howled in pain, dropping Metapod to the ground in the process.

Samurai's jaw dropped, returning Pinsir back to its Pokéball. He recovered soon enough, gritting his teeth and calling out his own Metapod.

My brows raised. And he called _me_ a novice. I was about to return Metapod back to its Pokéball, but I saw how much she wanted to battle. I let her.

As it turned out, Samurai's Metapod only knew Harden, which makes the battling pretty pointless. Of course, my Metapod knew Tackle, but I needed to get past the other Metapod's defense, somehow . . .

I did a quick scan around the area, my eyes landing on one of the trees. An idea popped into my mind. "That's it!" I muttered triumphantly, and in a louder voice, I said, "Metapod, tackle and slam it into that tree!"

It hit, immediately knocking out the other Metapod.

As Samurai returned his Metapod back to its Pokéball, saying something—I assume he was congratulating me—the realisation that I won my first official battle sunk in. A slow, wide smile went to my face as I ran towards Metapod, hugging her and telling her how I was so proud of her. Something magical happened that moment; Metapod's outer shell cracked, opened up, and out came a stunning Butterfree.

* * *

It had been days since Metapod evolved into Butterfree. We did some more training before heading over to Pewter City to challenge Brock, the gym leader.

The first person I met was a man named Flint. I was apparently sitting on one of his rocks [seriously; who sells rocks?] and offered to show me the way to the Pokémon Center, charging me two Pokédollars while doing so. And while I also know there are dozens of Nurse Joy's and Officer Jenny's, it was still a bizzare thing to see so many people look exactly alike. According to the Pewter City Nurse Joy, her younger sister—the Viridian City Nurse Joy—had told her about me. I only laughed sheepishly. She had kindly registered me to the Pokémon League, too, which I'll be qualified to join when I have at least eight badges.

Right now, I'm standing at the front gates of the Pewter City gym. Gym leaders were tougher than your average trainer; that much was obvious. I took a breath to calm my nerves, focusing on the excitement on my first gym match, instead. "You ready, Pikachu?"

"Pika!" he exclaimed, his eyes shining with determination.

"Then let's do this." I said, opening the gates and into the rock gym.

It was pitch-black inside, so silent you can hear a pin drop. "Hello?" I called out.

A spotlight switches on to reveal a tan-skinned guy, looking to be a few years older than me. He had squinty eyes and spiky hair, and there was a solemn look on his face. He was sitting cross-legged on a platform.

"Who goes there?"

I squashed the very last bit of my nerves down, stepping in front and stating in a confident voice, "I'm Ash from Pallet Town, and I challenge you to a Pokémon battle!"

He stood up and looked at Pikachu in a calculating gaze. "Hmm . . . " he pondered. "You Pikachu is at its cutest stage. Its fur looks clean and soft, unblemished from battle."

The electric mouse '_chaa_'d in content at the praise, but what Brock said next made him fall back and growl angrily; "It can't win."

"I mind my Pokémon and you mind yours," I snapped, scowling.

Brock sighed, probably having went through this countless times. "Very well. As a gym leader, I am required to accept any challengers that come."

We went over to the battlefield, us standing at each side of the field with the referee at the middle. "This will be a two on two battle of gym leader Brock and challenger Ash from Pallet Town with no time limit. The challenger may substitute Pokémon while the gym leader may not. The battle is over when all two of your Pokémon is unable to battle. Begin!"

"Geodude, go!" Brock tossed a Pokéball, revealing a living boulder with bulging, rocky eyebrows, trapezoidal eyes with brown irises, and muscular five-fingered arms.

I looked at my starter and nodded. "I choose you, Pikachu!"

Brock looked at my choice of Pokémon disapprovingly, asking me if I really wanted to battle with an electric type as it's weak towards rock types like Geodude. But I wasn't stupid, and I knew all about type disadvantages. Thing is, it's more fun that way. Fighting at a type advantage is so predictable, and one would be an idiot to think that an experienced rock type gym leader like Brock wouldn't have a strategy to fight off types his Pokémon are weak against, namely water types.

Added to that, I want to train my Pokémon even at an official gym match, and fighting at a disadvantage is the perfect way to do that.

Now, I'll show Brock that Pokémon types are not the only key to winning.

"Let's start things off with your most powerful Thunderbolt!"

"Pika_chu__uuu_!" Pikachu obeyed, sending a massive bolt on the boulder Pokémon. Brock, believing it wouldn't affect his Pokémon, didn't tell his Pokémon to dodge.

That was his mistake.

I had been training Pikachu to be able to crush small rocks with his Thundershock, and now the much stronger Thunderbolt will do much more damage.

"Geo!" Geodude gave out a cry of pain, suprising Brock.

"But how . . . ?" he trailed off.

I smirked. Rule number one in battle—_never _let your opponent catch you off guard. I took that as my advantage. "Finish it off with Quick Attack!"

Pikachu gave a cry as he shot forward in a blur of white and hit Geodude, smashing it against the rocks and knocking it out. Pikachu jumped back on my side, panting slightly.

I saw Brock returning Geodude, looking like he was seeing me in a new light. That'd teach him not to underestimate opponents. He of all people should know that.

"I'm suprised, Ash. You've managed to single-handedly beat my Geodude without taking a hit. But that won't work on my next Pokémon. Go, Onix!"

Out came a huge snake-like Pokémon, its body mainly composed of boulders and a rocky spine on its head. It roared, the sound slightly shaking the field. Pikachu stepped back, a little intimidated by his foe. But he stood strong; the training was indeed paying off.

I noticed something above. Sprinklers. And that means water. I had an idea.

"Pikachu, return!"

Pikachu looked at me, and ran outside the field, standing beside me. I grabbed a Pokéball, hoping my plan would work. "Butterfree, use stun spore!"

The butterfly Pokémon went out and immediately let out a sprinkle of orange powder. Brock was prepared, though. "Onix, use Sandstorm!"

The opposing Pokémon lifted its head and spun around, creating what looked like a sand tornado. It dissipated Butterfree's stun spore like it was nothing.

"Fly above it while still using Stun Spore!"

Butterfree flew towards Onix, all the while releasing the orange powder, making it spread across the room. That way, Onix wouldn't be able to attack because it's trapped in the room filled with the paralyzing powder.

The rocky snake stopped spinning, closing its eyes in pain as it got paralyzed.

I waited for the powder to clear out before returning Butterfree back to her ball. I sent Pikachu back to the field and made him use Thundershock to activate the sprinklers.

Brock realised what I was trying to do and tried to stop me. "Use Screech!"

Onix obeyed too late, as the sprinklers were activated, making water pour down on the rock type. It washed the paralysis away, and Brock used that in what he thought to be an advantage.

In his panicked state, he didn't use his mind and thought of what to do to escape the water and Pikachu's coming electric attack. Instead, he called out the attack that first came into his mind, "Tackle!"

When he said that, I knew the battle was over. I waited for Onix to get closer, before telling Pikachu to jump and get on it. Onix tried to shake him off, but Pikachu wouldn't budge. I knew he can't hang on for so long, though.

"Thunderbolt!" I yelled.

The water served as a conductor to the electricity, making it more powerful than it normally was. And a close range attack was too much, even for a tough Pokémon like Onix. It fell down the ground, unconscious. Pikachu landed beside it, looking like he was ready to collapse with all the energy he'd spent.

I ran forward and carried Pikachu, whispering congratulatory words to him and praising him for a job well done. Pikachu opened one eye and smiled at me.

Brock walked forward with a smile, handing me my very first badge. "This is a Boulder Badge, proof of your victory in the Pewter Gym. I really had fun battling you. Your strategy was brilliant and it's hard to believe this is your first gym battle. You really knew what you were doing."

I hastily took the badge with a grin, "Thanks, Brock. But I really need to get Pikachu in the Pokémon Center. See you!"

As I finished the last part, I was already halfway out the door.

* * *

**Did it seem rushed? Was the battle too easy for Ash? I mean, he did train for almost two weeks in preparation, and he came up with a strategy. *shrugs* I promise it'd be harder in the future gyms. I tried my best to make it longer, too. :3**

**Tell me your thoughts.**


	4. Chapter 4

**DISCLAIMER: **_I don't own Pokémon._

* * *

After winning my very first gym badge, I'd expected to move on to the next city as soon as possible, catch some Pokémon along the way, and win some more badges. What I didn't expect was for Flint to give me a little tour around Pewter City. He had insisted I come with him, and with the reassurance he wasn't going to ask for payment like he did earlier when I sat on his rocks, I agreed. He talked about the gym leader, Brock. He suspiciously knew a lot about the guy. Flint talked about his good-for-nothing father who left home to become a Pokémon trainer, and Brock's mother died of heartbreak shortly after. That left Brock to take care of his many siblings. It was definitely a sight to see—the tough gym leader I faced before was absent when I saw him handling his siblings. Mini-Brocks were running around, some going to Brock because of some sort of problem, and he regarded them with patience and care. With a pang, I remembered my mother. I missed her. The way Brock took care of his siblings reminded me of the way she took care of _me_, except Brock was not so protective. I noted to Flint that he seemed to know more about Brock's family way more than an ordinary passerby should and he stammered out a lame excuse. There was indeed a possibility that he was some old family friend, but the way he lied—not so smoothly, might I add—makes me suspect something. That something being proven when I was about to leave Pewter City, and Brock congratulated me once more with my victory over him. He said that he wasn't really interested in battling, that he dreamed of becoming the greatest Pokémon breeder, but can't because of his family duties. He told me to go and fulfil his dream for him. But then, right after that, my suspicions were proven right when Flint showed up and told Brock to go follow his dream, confirming that he's Brock's "good-for-nothing" father. He explained he didn't want to return home as a failure of a Pokémon trainer. He came back to take responsibility of the gym and his kids, which Brock gladly gave him.

That night, I've gained my first travelling companion. He's also proven to be rather useful; Brock was an _amazing_ cook. His dishes were the best I had in a long time, save for my mom's.

"So, Brock," I started. "Where to next?"

He glanced down at his map. Oh, right, did I mention he's also a great navigator? Which is very handy, considering my geography skills suck. "It says here we're heading towards Mount Moon."

I hmm'ed in idle thought as I processed the information. I've heard a bit about Mount Moon; there's a legend that in the prehistoric times, there was a meteor called the Moon Stone that crashed into the mountain. I suppose that's the reason for its name. It's also been said that Pokémon called Clefairy are living there. Perhaps we'd be lucky and see one. It's pretty rare, though, so I won't let my hopes up.

After a few minutes of hiking, said mountain finally appeared in our view. I brightened, quickening my pace before breaking into a run. Pikachu gave a yell as he clung to my shoulder, and Brock let out a yelp of, "Hey, wait up!" before running after me.

I skidded to a stop at the sight near the foot of the mountain. There was a figure hunched over, his arms covering his head as he attempted to protect himself from the flock of Zubat attacking him. I was momentarily confused; Zubat lived in caves and they hate going out in sunlight. But I dismissed the thought away as soon as it came, deciding to think about it later. Now, we needed to help the person.

"Pikachu, use Thundershock to drive the Zubat away!"

With a cry, Pikachu released a mild shock. The Zubat scattered away, leaving the man alone. He was a scientist, I'm guessing, seeing the lab coat that hung over his blue top. He had large round glasses and brown hair. I walked over, asking, "Are you okay?"

The man's reaction was not what I was prepared for. He jumped forward and engulfed me in a huge bear hug, thanking me profusely in a very dramatic way. The problem? Pikachu did not like being squished between the two of us. He let out a shock, and shocking indeed, because the scientist was ecstatic in experiencing Pikachu's electric shock. He was definitely an odd one.

Once he finally calmed down, he introduced himself as Seymour, a scientist. Just as I suspected. Finally, Brock asked him what I was wondering earlier why the Zubat were attacking him and why they weren't inside the cave, like they were supposed to.

Seymour had been very upset when he explained. Someone had apparently installed strung lights inside the nearby cave that are disrupting the Pokémon who live inside. We entered the cave, confirming what he just said. I could feel my anger rising at whoever's doing this to the Pokémon. It just wasn't right to disturb a Pokémon's natural habitat. Seymour said he believed whoever's doing this was after the Moon Stone, and I whole-heartedly agreed. The Moon Stone was rare and precious, and that was something the bad guys were always after. But what was surprising was Seymour theorizing it belonging to the Pokémon who came from outer space, using the Moon Stone as their spacecraft. It's not an accurate theory, by any means, but it was still possible. After all, there's still plenty mysteries hidden about this universe.

Just then, a pink Pokemon I recognised as Clefairy bounced past, carrying something. I stared at it in amazement for a few moments, hardly believing my luck. I pointed my Pokédex at it. "Clefairy. This impish Pokémon is friendly and peaceful. It is believed to live inside Mt. Moon, although very few have ever been seen by humans."

I itched to capture it. And I would have, if not for the fact that it belongs here and I shouldn't be taking it from its home. The Clefairy then disappeared from sight. Only a few minutes after, a cry of distress was heard from deep inside the cave, catching all our attentions. Acting out of instinct and the urge to help whatever's troubling the wild Clefairy, we all rushed around to see Clefairy menaced by a shadow of some sort of Pokemon. Upon closer look, the Pokemon looked like a . . . Meowth?

Meowth don't live in Mount Moon, meaning that leaves us with only two options: either that Meowth is lost, or that is the Meowth of Team Rocket. I was leaning more towards the latter, unfortunately. The scratch-cat Pokemon was standing on a large rock with a light behind it, casting the manacing looking shadow. Knowing whose shadow it was made it lose the scary factor, though. Its antics definitely did not impress me.

"You again!" I pointed at Meowth with an accusing finger.

"We've got to stop them before they start any more trouble," Brock growled. But the world 'trouble' seemed to give Team Rocket the cue to start their annoying motto, which I've grown tired of hearing the first time it came out of their mouths.

A silhoette of a woman appeared. "Touble?"

"Make that double," added the silhoette of a man.

I groaned, not looking forward to hearing their motto. "Don't you guys ever get tired of saying the same thing over and over again?"

"Hey, kid!" Jessie shouted angrily. "Nobody interrupts the Team Rocket motto!"

I rolled my eyes, before turning to Pikachu. The mouse grinned, stepping forward. It was then the duo realised the fight had already started and released their Pokemon—Koffing and Ekans.

"Go, Zubat!"

A blue bat-like Pokemon appeared in a flash of white light. I did a double-take. Since when did Brock have a _Zubat_? I knew he had two rock type Pokemon. The bat Pokemon certainly wasn't the living boulder Geodude, and last time I checked, Onix was way bigger and was made of rocks.

As if reading my mind, Brock explained. "I caught one before entering the cave."

Oh. That explains it. Now why hadn't I thought about that? Before I can berate myself for not thinking about it, the two poison Pokémon attacked.

"Pikachu, use Quick Attack!"

"Zubat, Supersonic!"

Zubat released small yellow circles from his mouth, the circles growing in size as they reached the opponents. Pikachu didn't give the two Pokémon time to recover as he shot out in a blur of white, sending the two Pokémon barrelling back to Team Rocket. And now for the grand finale—"Pikachu, send them flying with Thunderbolt!"

With a cry, the mouse gave out a powerful bolt of electricity, creating an explosion that once again, sent the Team Rocket trio blasting off to who-knows-where.

Seymour and Brock were gaping.

"Are you sure that's not a bit too much? I mean, they could've been hurt or something," Brock asked, sceptical.

Pikachu and I grinned at him. "Yep. Don't worry; they'll be fine."

Brock looked like he still wasn't sure, but he let it go. Well. I'm sure that wasn't the last we've seen of Team Rocket, seeing as they're so determined to steal Pikachu. He's travelling with me now, so let's just see how Brock would deal with a trio of stalkers who liked making dramatic entrances and repeating the same motto over and over. I'm sure he wouldn't be so hesitant in blasting them off.

Clefairy danced its way towards us happily, gratefulness radiating out of it.

I smiled. "We're always glad to help, Clefairy."

"Fairy, clefairy!" It tugged at me, pointing to a deeper part of the cave and motioning us to follow it.

We did. The sight was amazing; there was a large rock [which I assume is the Moon Stone] and tinier rocks surrounding it. A lot of Clefairy danced around it, seemingly singing something in harmony. The Clefairy that guided us here bounced over to the Moon Stone, putting the final piece of the puzzle in it. It shone and sparkled under the moon.

I let out a breath of amazement. "What are they doing, Pikachu?"

Pikachu walked over to a Clefairy and they had a small conversation, before going back to me and started speaking his Pikachu-language.

"Do you understand what its saying?" Brock asked.

I looked at Pikachu some more, who started making motions. "I think so. The Clefairy come to this place every night where they . . . pray?"

Pikachu gave an affirmative sound before turning to watch the Clefairy once more.

Seymour started noting things, squealing rhymes of how it finally makes sense, rambling about some theories and some stuff about it coming from outer space.

The Clefairy's ceremony went on, before the tinier rocks glowed and floated into the air and started touching some random Clefairy, covering them in a bright white light and evolving into a Clefable. Some stayed as a Clefairy and were fairly disappointed, but then brightened into thinking they would have another chance next year.

We all watched, smiling at the display. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Brock glance at the sky.

"Well," he started. "It looks like we have to go."

I noticed it was getting dark; if we wanted a decent place to camp for the night, we'd have to get moving. Seymour the scientist gave an 'ah' and said his goodbye and thanks. I automatically was about to reply the same thing when I noticed something.

"Wait; you're staying?"

"Oh, yes!" Seymour bobbed his head up and down enthusiastically. "I'm going to stay here and live with the Clefairy to learn more about them! Maybe someday I'd even go with them to outer space!"

Living with the Clefairy would certainly help Seymour learn more about them, but I really doubt he'd go with them to outer space. But I didn't say anything. So we said our goodbyes, once again heading towards Cerulean City, and my second gym badge.

* * *

"Ash," the voice said again. I could feel the incessant finger poking my side again. I swatted it away.

But whoever the voice was, it wasn't giving up. "Ash, wake up."

I clenched my eyes tighter, turning and snuggling closer to my sleeping bag. I tried to mumble, "Go away," but it came out to be a bunch of gibberish. I didn't care, though. I was tired. I wanted to sleep.

Subconsciously, I heard the voice sigh tiredly. Ha. The stupid voice deserved it for even thinking of disturbing my sleep. I could feel whoever it was getting up, and later footsteps were heard, each step growing more distant than the other.

I sighed blissfully, glad to be able to continue my sleep.

After a few minutes [at least, my sleeping mind thought it was], though, the sweet aroma of food found its way to my nose. I sniffed, tossing around and trying to figure out where the scent was coming from. My eyes shot open and I was up like a bullet when I realised Brock was cooking breakfast.

"Mm!" I moaned, clutching my stomach and feeling my hunger grow, seeing the delicious looking meal being cooked. I eyed it hungrily, like a predator looking at its prey.

Laughter. I could hear laughter from beside me, Brock soon joining in. I scowled at them.

"I knew food would wake you up! "

"Pika, pika!"

The voices laughed.

"Oh, shut up! I'm hungry!" I whined.

Pikachu shot me a look, as if to say, _you're always hungry_.

I scoffed. So what if I am? I glared at the little mouse and he stared back smugly. Oh, that little . . .

"Food's ready!"

Forgetting all about Pikachu, I gave a cheer and practically flew over my seat. I was about to dig in and give my stomach the satisfaction when I remembered I was supposed to feed my Pokémon, too.

"Oh, right." I muttered below my breath, taking out all my Pokéballs and tossed them in the air, releasing all of my Pokémon.

Brock watched, amused. "At least he remembers his Pokémon,"

"Pika."

The four Pokémon, relieved to be out in fresh air, streched and breathed in. Pikachu went over and greeted everyone, engaging a small conversation in Pokéspeech. Brock released his Pokémon, too, and they all had a meet-and-greet session.

"Hey, guys, here's our new travelling companion, Brock," I motioned towards Brock, grinning. "He's a great cook so dig in!"

They all gave happy cries, Eevee jumping up to my lap and rubbed her face affectionately against my arm. I laughed, scratching her behind the ears. "I'm glad to see you, too, Eevee."

"Hmm," I heard Brock say. I looked over, seeing his eyebrows scrunched together in a thoughtful expression. "What Pokémon is that? I've never seen anything like it,"

I was confused for a moment, before looking over Victini and realising what he meant.

"Ooh, that Pokemon is called Victini. She's pretty rare, so I'm not surprised you don't know about her."

"So it's female, huh?"

"Yep,"

The Pokémon in question fluttered over to me, resting herself on my head. She stared at Brock curiously, and perhaps with a little distrust, him being only the second human to see her.

Brock stared back at her in fascination. I silently thanked Arceus that he had more sense than to charge in and scoop Victini up. She would've freaked out.

"What type of Pokémon is she?"

I wasn't really sure. I couldn't exactly ask Professor Oak and the Pokédex didn't know about her except for her moves, but I knew she was a fire type and she can do a lot of psychic moves so I'm around 90% sure of her type.

"She's a dual fire and psychic type." I answered, not sounding unsure at all.

"Ah," Brock nodded in comprehension. "Where'd you catch her?"

"Uh . . . " I hesitated. I trusted Brock enough. He was a good person and he wouldn't do anything that'd endanger any Pokémon's well-being. I decided to go for the truth. "I met Victini while I was playing with the Pokémon in Professor Oak's lab. When I started my journey, she just wanted to come with me."

"Interesting. What did the professor say about her?"

"About that . . . Well, the professor doesn't know about her." I said sheepishly.

Brock's squinty eyes widened. For a fraction, but it was still something. "_What_?"

I raised my arms defensively. "Victini didn't want to let Professor Oak know about her!"

The breeder calmed down, nodding his head as if it explains everything. I guess it kind of did. "That's understandable."

I let out a sigh of relief. I suppose being a Pokémon breeder really did help a person in understanding a Pokémon better. Oh! I perked up. My food. Somewhere in the middle of Brock's interrogation, Eevee and Victini went back down the ground and chatted. I took a big bite.

It was delicious, as expected. I said so, and Brock chuckled. I was sure glad he took the information about Victini well. My Pokémon gave out delighted cries as they tasted their food. Having a travelling companion was indeed better than travelling alone, and him knowing how to cook like a professional chef makes it all the more better.

After our meal, we continued on our journey. Brock had asked me about the thing I put in my Pokémon's water. I told him it was something I made back at Professor Oak's laboratory, filled with vitamins and minerals my Pokémon need. He said that must explain why my Pokémon's coats look beautiful. They all blushed at the compliment. He promised to keep everything a secret, so it was all good.

We came across a sign that said Cerulean City was just up ahead. I was about to move on, when I saw something that caught my eye. Below the sign, someone had left a graffiti that said, "Gary was here! Ash is a loser!"

Upon seeing it, I could feel my irritation rise. I was left behind by my arrogant rival _again_. But I forced myself to calm down. I had all the time in the world to train my Pokémon. At least, before the Pokémon League I had. And by the time we get to the Indigo Plateau, I'm going to show him we're better and all our training will pay off. That I promised myself.

I looked at Brock, a determined fire shining in my eyes. My voice was firm when I said, "Come on."

* * *

When we entered the city, the first thing we saw was a huge crowd of people in a circle surrounding a building.

Brock and I exchanged glances, both curious on what's attracting so much attention. We walked towards it and fought our way through the crowd, trying to get a glimpse of what's happening. When we finally reached the front, we saw Officer Jenny and a lot of other policemen. The person between us was muttering something about buglars.

"Buglars, huh?" I wondered out loud.

"What do you know about buglars?" Officer Jenny snapped.

Like Nurse Joy, there were also a lot of Officer Jenny's around the world. The knowledge didn't make the encounter any less weirder.

"You two look very suspicious to me," the officer narrowed her eyes, cupping her chin while glaring at us.

My eyes widened when I realised where Officer Jenny's trail of thought was heading.

"Hey, hold on!" I yelped. "You're going to accuse me of being a criminal again, are you?"

"Again?" she asked with a raised brow.

"Yeah! The Officer Jenny from Viridian City accused me, too!"

She giggled and said girlishly, "Ah, you must've met my sister-in-law!" She then straightened up, suddenly going back to her business mode. "If you know my sister-in-law from Viridian, that means you probably had dealings with the police there!"

"Whoa, hey now! I'm not doing anything wrong!" I said defensively, pulling out my Pokedéx for proof. Dexter repeated the same thing he said back in Viridian about me Trainer Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town.

Brock put out his Boulder Badge, too, saying he used to be the gym leader of Pewter City.

Officer Jenny's personality did a complete 360. "Well, that's evidence enough for me. I'm sorry if I was suspicious," before muttering to herself, "Now I'm suspicious of my sister-in-law. She sure has a weird taste in friends."

"Uh, Miss," Brock interrupted, catching Officer Jenny's attention. I stared at him, confused. "I was wondering, since I'm new in town, maybe we can get together tonight and you could show me around."

The officer grinned. "Well, I'm not off-duty till after your bedtime, and I may have to work around the clock to catch these buglars."

Brock's face fell at this, and I grinned at him cheekily.

"So what was stolen, Officer Jenny?" I asked.

"Oddly enough, no money was taken just a giant pump and a hose." she explained.

Now why would anyone want a pump and a hose? I shrugged indifferently, convinced that the robbers were oddballs. To get yourself in trouble for a pump and a hose? No, thanks.

"Move along, now!" Officer Jenny said, and tried to disperse the crowd.

We left the crime scene, thankful for our forms of identification. We settled down on a bench somewhere in the park.

"Shouldn't you head for the Cerulean City gym?" Brock asked.

"Yeah," I mumbled. But truthfully, I was debating with myself whether my Pokemon's training was enough or I had to train some more. I turned towards Brock, remembering he was a gym leader. Maybe he can help me. "Hey, Brock, you got any inside info on the gym trainer over there?"

Brock made a surprised sound, looking questioningly at me.

"'Know yourself, know your adversary, and you hold the key to victory.'" I quoted, lifting a finger to make my point.

Brock looked impressed. "You sure know some pretty deep stuff,"

I laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of my neck. "I got it from Dexter."

The older boy sat back, and said, "I haven't really met the gym trainer there, but I know the type he uses for his gym."

"What is it?" I asked, excited.

He grinned at me. "Sorry, Ash"—not sounding sorry at all—"but I can't give you that information."

"Oh," I said in a smaller voice, disappointed. "Why not?"

"I'm a gym leader, too, after all. I can't tell you out of respect. You understand."

I sighed. "I guess."

We sat down in silence for a few minutes, before getting up and walked around. There wasn't anybody around except for the two of us, which was odd, considering a crowd was here just a moment ago. We reached an intersection, when Brock turned to me and said, "Well, I have some stuff I have to go check out."

I looked at him, puzzled. I was tempted to ask what 'stuff' it was, but I contained my curiosity, figuring Brock would've told me if he wanted to. Instead, I said, "Alright, then."

And Brock headed off with a wave of goodbye.

"Looks like we're on our own now, buddy." I told Pikachu.

"Pika," he said in agreement.

"Let's go!" I said, turning and heading towards what I hoped to be the Pokémon Gym.

We wandered aimlessly. Just when I thought we were getting lost, I reached this huge place with a brightly coloured roof. There was a Dewgong painted on it, looking like it's underwater. Probably a water gym, I decided. Pikachu would have the type advantage, and the water doesn't bother Victini. If it was a three-on-three, then I'd go with Pidgeotto as the third Pokémon.

I entered the gym. The first thing I noticed was that there was a giant swimming pool with a high diving board. The next thing I noticed was that it did not look like a Pokémon Gym at all. It looked like some sort of water ballet show. There were seats set up and the room was full with people. At the front, three girls who, according to the announcer, were the Three Sensational Sisters of Cerulean City were performing some dives and swimming. They were good, but I held no interest with whatever it was. I looked back just in time for the crowd to explode in a loud cheer, the three ladies smiling and waving as they finished.

Once everybody left the place, I wandered around the so-called Pokémon Gym. I was growing unsure more than ever that I was lost and I've mistaken this for the gym when it wasn't. I was in a room with the biggest aquarium I've ever seen with fish swimming by.

I tensed momentarily when I heard people approaching. Or, more specifically, _girls_. They were the kinds of girls with high-pitched voices and used 'like' in almost every sentence.

The three girls from the earlier show appeared around the corner. They looked surprise to find somebody here. I walked forward, about to ask if this was the Pokémon Gym, when they rudely told me that if I wanted an autograph, I'd have to ask their manager.

I was annoyed at being interrupted, but I strained myself. In a forced polite tone, I said, "I don't want your autographs. I just wanted to know if this is the Pokémon Gym . . . ?"

"It sure is," they told me.

I internally let out a sigh of relief. How embarrassing it would be if I'd gotten lost.

"Well, I'm looking for the Gym Trainer." I said, staring at them expectantly.

They grinned. "You're looking at them,"

I almost said, "You're kidding me," but I held it in. Instead, I confidently said, "I challenge all of you to a battle, then!"

The three sisters grew uncomfortable.

"Well, uh . . . "

"What?" I frowned.

The yellow-haired sister sighed and muttered, "We, uh, don't feel like battling anymore."

My jaw dropped. I can't believe it. Wasn't it against the rules for a gym leader to deny a challenger?

"What do you mean?!" I asked them, as we walked in a room where I assume is the battlefield. There was a pool in the middle with tiny platforms floating around, meant only for the Pokémon to stand, not move around.

"We just got beaten three times in a row," the pink haired one said. "By kids from this nowhere place called Pallet Town."

I resisted the urge to groan miserably. I already knew I was left behind by Gary, but I never knew I was left behind by all kids from my hometown.

The blue haired one sighed. "It was just one defeat after another. My eyes were spinning after all those losses."

"We had to, like, practically rush all of our Pokémon to the Pokemon Center," the other sister added.

"There's only one left," another said, pulling out a Pokéball and released the Pokémon inside.

A fish Pokémon that resembled a goldfish came out. "Goldeen, goldeen, goldeen." It said, flopping around.

"If we can evolve it into a Seaking, we could use it. But all it could do now is its horn attack," the blue haired sister complained.

"So, like, there's no point in battling," the yellow haired one agreed.

"Now instead of having matches, we have time to make ourselves more beautiful than ever!" the pink haired one giggled.

Then the yellow haired one said, grinning, "I know what you want, though," she clapped her hands, and called out a Seel. Okay, wasn't Seel a Pokémon? They can battle me with a Seel and a Goldeen . . .

A Seel came out of the pool and stuck its tongue out, a small, raindrop-shaped badge in its mouth.

"A Cascade Badge. This is what you want, right? You can have it."

I stared distastefully at the offending badge I wanted. "Thanks, but I'd rather earn my badges." And it was true. A badge is nothing for me if it wasn't me and my Pokémon working hard to get it.

"Take it," the yellow haired one grinned. "A badge is a badge."

No. I made no move to walk over the badge and accept it. Then a voice yelled out—"_Hold it right there_!"

We all looked towards the aisle between an empty row of seats. Standing there was the orange-haired girl whose bike Pikachu fried.

"Misty?" I gasped, the same time Pikachu said, "Pikachu, pi!"

Misty flipped through the air and landed between me and the three sisters. "Alright, Daisy. If you don't want to battle him, then I will!"

My eyebrows rose at this. Misty battle me for the badge? How?

"What do you mean?" I asked.

Misty stood proudly and announced, "I'm a Cerulean City trainer, too. I'm the Fourth Sensational Sister!"

One of the three sisters waved this off. "There are only Three Sensational Sisters, and one runt."

Misty gritted her teeth. This gym was getting weirder and weirder.

"So, little sister," the yellow haired one, who Misty called Daisy, said. "I'm surprised to see you back so soon."

"That little girl with the big mouth who said she wouldn't come back until she was a Water Pokémon Master," the blue haired one giggled. "Wasn't that you?"

"Huh? I guess, I did say something like that when I left," Misty mumbled, as I watched their exchange with interest. So Tomboy Misty was the sister of these three, probably the most girlish females I've ever met. Nice.

"Misty, you left here pretending you wanted to become a Pokémon trainer, because you couldn't compare to us, since we're obviously much more beautiful and talented than you are." the pink haired sister taunted.

I think they've forgotten I'm here. I saw Misty's face redden, and her eyes narrow dangerously.

"Uh oh," I said. An angry Misty was not what I wanted to deal with.

"_That wasn't the reason_!" she roared, resembling a volcano about to explode.

Daisy opened her mouth to say something else, but I interjected, reminding them that I'm here and I wanted to challenge the gym. Misty spun around to face me, her face still red. I cringed, expecting her to lash out at me for interrupting their family reunion.

"I'll battle you and I'll show _these three_"—she pointed to her sisters—"that I'm not a quitter and I'm just as good as a trainer as they are!"

"Well, you're the only one of us with Pokémon that can actually battle," Daisy admitted.

"Alright, Ash!" she yelled straight at my face. "Are you ready to rumble?"

I faced her confidently. "Of course I am!"

We took our places from each side of the pool, preparing ourselves for the match. Misty yelled from the other side, "I wasn't planning on challenging you till you pay me back for my bike, but now's as good a time as any!"

I smirked, not waiting for the rules as I hauled Pikachu up and put him out in the battlefield. "Pikachu, I choose you!"

The electric mouse bounced on one of the floating platforms, facing Misty and whatever Pokémon she'd choose determinedly. From the sidelines, I heard one of her sisters say this will be a two-on-two Pokémon battle. Perfect.

"In that case, Misty calls Staryu!"

A starfish-like Pokemon with a red core at the middle faced off Pikachu from the other side of the field. I grinned, and commanded Pikachu to use Thunderbolt.

As Pikachu released electricity, Misty told Staryu to jump and do a spinning tackle attack.

"Jump into the water, Pikachu!"

Without hesitation, Pikachu jumped down the pool with a dive I liked more than the dive the three sisters did earlier. I was hoping Misty would ask Staryu to go underwater, but I knew she was smarter than that. But that didn't mean I'd have to tolerate her idea.

"You know what to do," I told Pikachu with a smug smile, knowing I've won. Misty looked confused from the other side of the platform.

A blur of yellow shot out of the water and tackled the starfish Pokémon into the water, and not giving it time to recover, Pikachu released a powerful Thunder attack into it. We were all momentarily blinded as the attack hit the water. When the light subsided, Staryu was floating on the water, its core blinking.

Misty returned Staryu in its ball. "You might've been lucky this time, but you're going to lose now; type advantage or not! Misty calls Starmie!"

The evolved form of Staryu appeared this time. It was differently coloured and it had more appendages. I internally smirked. Type advantage or not, indeed.

Pikachu looked at me and I nodded, signalling him to get back at my side. I grabbed a Pokéball from my belt and tossed it, releasing Victini.

"Tini!" she squealed, happy to be able to battle.

"Huh?" Misty stared at my Pokémon, wondering what kind she is. She recovered and said that I may have an unknown Pokémon, but that didn't mean I'd beat her. In the sidelines, I could hear the sisters cooing how she's adorable.

"Use Water Gun, Starmie!"

I grinned triumphantly, knowing that Victini knew what to do when dealing with water types—take the hit and use Psychic to lessen the pressure. The water hit her, making her close her eyes, and then she got up and giggled, happily spinning around. I looked over to Misty's shocked face and said, "Victini really likes taking showers."

Misty scowled and asked Starmie to use Rapid Spin.

"Grab it with Psychic and toss!"

She did just that, making Misty call out worriedly, "Oh, no, Starmie's running out of energy! We have to end this fast."

I was about to tell Victini to finish it, when a rumbling caught everyone's attention. I looked over, seeing a massive machine that smashed through the wall, and two familiar figures were seen.

"Check out that hair!"

"Like, who invited the party crashers?"

Jessie spoke, "Sorry to burst in on you ladies,"

"Allow us to introduce ourselves." James added.

I yelled out before they can start the annoying motto again. "Hey! You're interrupting our battle!"

Jessie yelled back in a retort, "You're interrupting our motto!"

"Victini, send them flying with Psychic!"

A faint glow surrounded the Rockets, and just a minute later there was an explosion, and they were sent blasting off again, leaving the machine unscathed. I looked at the machine more closely, realising it was the one stolen earlier from the building. I should've known.

We all took in the damage. It looked like the sisters didn't care for whatever happened to Team Rocket; only that they destroyed their wall.

"Hey, we never got to finish our battle!" Misty said, remembering.

I sighed in a disappointed manner. "Yeah, and I was just winning, too."

"_What_?" she gasped, ready to deny.

"At least nobody lost," the pink haired one offered.

Misty moaned, "I wanted to win."

My shoulders sagged. "I guess I'm not going to get that Cascade Badge,"

"Wrong," Daisy smiled. "We're giving this badge to you."

"Huh? Why?" I asked.

"How come he gets the badge? He didn't win!" Misty whined.

"His Pokémon was the one that like, totally saved us all. And if you'd continued the battle, there's no way your water Pokémon could've won."

Misty complained, as his sister handed me the Cascade Badge. "Take the badge, Ash; you deserve it."

"Wow, thanks," I grinned, taking the badge from Daisy. "Alright! I got a Cascade Badge!" I cheered.

"Pi, pikachu!"

"Tini, tini!"

We said goodbye to Misty's sisters, them making me promise to take care of their little sister. Misty told her earlier she'd be travelling with me, but insisted it was only because of her bike. I told her about Brock and how he used to be the Pewter City gym leader, and now he's travelling with me. As if on cue, Brock rejoined us and I introduced the two.

Misty and I spent the entire time walking out of Cerulean City arguing, Brock and Pikachu shaking their heads at us.

I internally smiled. No matter what Misty said, she's not only travelling with us because of that stupid bike. Now we're a trio of friends travelling together, and with our Pokémon with us, we're going to achieve our dreams—together.

* * *

**Ahhh. *stretch* I'm going to change lots of things from the anime and I'm just going to summarize some things, okay? Okay. It's rushed, but eh, I suck at details.**


End file.
